Hajime
Hajime (はじめ) is the Japanese word meaning "beginning" . In Japanese traditional martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, Kūdō and kendo, it is a verbal command to "begin". Hajime is also a common Japanese given name for males.
Meaning & Origin of Hajime
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hajime (はじめ) is the Japanese word meaning "beginning" . In Japanese traditional martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, Kūdō and kendo, it is a verbal command to "begin". Hajime is also a common Japanese given name for males.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hajime
Hajime first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 15 Hajimes were born — ranking #2,089 that year. As of 2026, Hajime ranks #8,237 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 134 Hajimes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Hajime
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hajime is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hajime
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About the name Hajime
Hajime is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 134 births in the dataset. Hajime's peak popularity came in 1925 when it ranked #2,089. Use the chart and map above to compare Hajime's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1925 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.